Memories Of The Heart
by NoteEmmy
Summary: The spirit makes a huge gamble with Ryou in order to switch him to his side. He's not expecting his host's reaction and impact upon his youngest memories. Yami no Bakura-Ryou Bakura-young thief king Bakura


His host was beginning to become a problem. Rather, those gang of idiots were the problem, and his host was just following along. That still put Ryou in the wrong as far as the spirit was concerned, but he had started to brood. He needed to find a way around all this friendship nonsense. If Ryou started to really believe that they were his friends, he'd start to pull away from him. He could even remove himself entirely from the situation if he really started to understand what was going on. Just how important he was. The spirit couldn't have that.

He just wasn't sure what to do about it. Getting involved more than he already was wasn't part of his plans. He could wait it out. Ryou might distance himself from them instead, as usual. The kid wasn't the best at social interactions. The spirit didn't think he was worthless, but if he let the boy think that he was, he might start to act accordingly. He didn't want Ryou getting in his way. They'd worked well up until now. Probably not on Ryou's account but on his and that was what was important.

The spirit never put himself in serious harm's way. He always tried to keep Ryou in good condition. He needed him, after all. It would be stupid to harm him unnecessarily or spook him to a point of no return. As much as he hated to know it, he needed this body. He needed Ryou. On his side. That was far from ever happening, especially with Yuugi and the Pharaoh's disgusting influence. They were starting to get to his host. He could feel it. And this would ruin everything.

It was past midnight now. His host was sleeping. He hadn't had any plans for tonight. Usually he'd take the body and go somewhere, set up something, keep an eye out, but tonight there was nothing. Well, he'd decided on doing something, but it involved Ryou. This would be the only chance he got and he was going to make it good. He was going to draw the other to his side in a way only he knew how.

By picking at the boy's compassion. His sense of right and wrong. This hand was entirely too early to reveal. It was dangerous. It was stupid. If he wasn't in so much danger of losing his host to better sense he wouldn't bother. But he could do nothing else. There was a careful eye kept here, he wasn't going to let Ryou retain memory of this. But he would keep the feeling. The spirit would burn it into his heart and soul. It would serve him well or backfire in his face, as all his plans did. He was a gambler, after all.

Ryou was fast asleep in the physical world and his presence in his soul room was calm. The spirit chose to wait, pacing a little outside his own soul door. Perhaps he was interfering too much. This might not have been a good idea. It could ruin everything. For the first time in a while he was anxious. Anxious of Ryou's influence, his actions. How utterly ridiculous.

With his anger looming about him like a black cloak he barged his way into the boy's adjoining soul room. It was so soft and full of memories he didn't feel comfortable looking at. Instead he directed his attention right on the other.

"Get up." Not that Ryou was sleeping but he was lying dormant as he usually did. These rooms were not used often.

So much so that Ryou didn't seem to comprehend what was going on. He scrambled to his feet, staring at the spirit, a little frightened. He'd never faced him this way before. Sure he knew of his presence, of what the ring did, what it had, what it could do… but this was entirely different. "What… what do you want?" That had to be it. There was no other reason for his spirit to show himself in this manner.

Said man sneered. "Demanding, aren't we?" This was already headed off to a bad start. He needed to control himself.

Ryou straightened up. "What do you want?" He asked again, less tense and more force this time. He had to not be afraid of this spirit. He had to show that he wasn't afraid. It was the only way.

The spirit watched him. His little host had grown quite a backbone. "I want you to understand something." His tone was dark, like everything else about him. He folded his arms.

"And what is that?" Ryou was waiting for some sentence about how he couldn't hang out with his friends anymore, or that he had to relinquish control willingly, or who knew what else. This spirit… he was the worst thing that had happened to his life.

"I want you to know who you're really gracing your presence with." The spirit tried easing back, talking up the other slightly. His facial expression eased. It was hard acting like this in front of him.

Ryou's eyes narrowed, hands balling at his sides. "You're going to tell me not to hang out with Yuugi aren't you?" Yuugi's spirit was so much nicer. Why couldn't he have been that lucky. But there was no mistaking what his spirit was after. Those two wanted the other dead. It all made sense.

The spirit rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to tell you to do anything." He didn't have to. Their bond had never worked that way. If he wanted something done he'd simply take it. Ordering the meek boy around wouldn't get him anywhere. "I want you to understand." He repeated.

"Understand what?!" Everything about this 'other self' put him on edge. He didn't like this.

This wasn't going to work. Ryou needed to calm down. To that end the spirit backed off. Part of his plans, anyway. "Follow me." He commanded and when he realized that set Ryou back even further he grimaced. This was going to hurt. "Please." The word came out scathing but there it was. He was asking Ryou to do something. He hated this.

It better work.

As his spirit disappeared through the door he weighed his options. It was obvious the man could come and go as he pleased-… wherever this was. Had he ever seen this room before? It felt like it belonged to him. Like it was a place he could call his own. Safe. And yet that damned spirit walked in here like it was nothing. Maybe he could find protection for it. But all that aside, if he didn't follow chances were the spirit would come back in here snarling.

And he'd asked… he'd never seen the spirit so uneasy before. So pleading. Chances were it was an act. It must have been, with what he was asking. Ryou set his head high, resolving himself not to fall to this trap. He'd go and see, but he wouldn't go blindly. He was going with the knowledge that this was most likely a stupid catch.

With a drawn breath he went through the door his other had disappeared. And immediately he regretted the decision.

Where he found himself was far from any comfortable space he could imagine. There was a ravaged town burning to the ground around him. People were screaming. Children were crying. Women were being grabbed. The smoke was so thick he thought he should choke. He could barely process the chaos going on around him. He began to shake.

"What…" What was this? Why was the spirit doing this to him? What purpose did this serve?

He saw guards in gold grabbing people, but their faces were all shadowed. They were forcing them into circles before beating them and pushing them up some ramp into what looked like a pit of fire. The screams pounded at his head and slowly he sunk to his knees. Why was this happening?

"This was my village." He didn't remember much. But this memory was burned in him forever.

"I…" Ryou felt sick. He didn't want to be here any longer. Lie or not, what the spirit was conjuring was hurting him. He wanted to close his eyes, run away, anything but be here. Anything but witness this.

The spirit watched Ryou, more interested in his reaction than the burning hatred he felt every time he visited one of the only memories left to him. It seemed to be working. "The Pharaoh did this." He proclaimed strongly.

The boy could barely process what that meant. That Yuugi's other self was responsible for all of this bloodshed? This carnage? He wasn't sure he could believe it. "Then… where is he?" Surely he should have been somewhere in this memory.

Darkness surged between them. "That is not important!" The Pharaoh was absent from this memory. No doubt because he as a child had been cowering too much to catch the sight of him. Or rather- "How could one so haughty bloody his hands in such a way? He would never do his own dirty work." Of course the Pharaoh wasn't here. How foolish. How stupid. He calmed himself.

"This is my village. And the Pharaoh is responsible for its destruction." This was all he knew to be true.

Ryou couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was a trick. It was some sick illusion to try and sway him. He was being tested. Could Yuugi's other self really be responsible for this? For all of this…?

They stayed until the ashes died down. Ryou finally pulled himself together once the fires were out and the screams had stopped. He felt sick and queasy. He was about to demand to be taken back when he heard the shivers and sobs of a child. A lost child? One that the guards had missed?

He pushed through the debris to find a small child with white hair cowering underneath some rubble. His hands were clutching his head. Immediately Ryou went to him. "You can't-" The spirit tried to interject. It was only a memory. He wouldn't be able to touch anyone.

And then Ryou broke the boundaries of what was real and not and the spirit found himself staring. Ryou's hands pulled the small body from its resting place and held him, even as he struggled. He watched his younger self struggle hard, screaming for help, for anything, to be let go, that he wouldn't be taken. And then he watched as that little boy dissolved against the strong and warm hold of Ryou and cried against him.

There was a hitch in his chest. This was impossible. What was happening here? Things were being altered in a way he wasn't sure he liked. Where a barren and impossibly angry feeling had radiated inside him he suddenly felt not so alone. Not so damaged.

"I'm here. You're alright. I promise." Ryou was cooing to him to calm him. Nothing he could say would erase the damage the child had been through, this he knew, but for now he could offer his presence. This was something no one should have ever been through. He still had his skepticism that Yuugi's other had caused this, but for now this was more important.

Eventually the child's deep weeping turned to sniffles and shivering. Ryou clutched him closer. Reddened eyes directed up at him, Ryou looking back down. "Wh-why?" The child wibbled out. There were no answers. So instead he held him closer, rocking him. "I-I want my mom. My dad. Everyone…" The sobbing started up again and Ryou resolved himself not to go anywhere until it stopped.

That had been his plan at least. But the spirit could take this no longer. He reached for Ryou and grabbed him by his hair. "Ah-hey!" He shouted in pain as his hair felt like it was being ripped from his skull. The spirit tossed him right out of the memory and back into his soul room. He only had a moment to breathe before he found himself pinned against the nearest wall, an arm to his throat.

"You will forget everything you just did." The spirit threatened, eyes darker than the boy had ever seen them.

He squirmed, trying to break free. "How could I?" He grounded out, feeling his breath supply shortening.

"YOU WILL!"

Ryou shot up from bed, sweat clinging to his forehead. He was uncertain of his surroundings at first. Eventually it came to him that he was in his bed. In his apartment. In Domino. In Japan. He looked around the room, willing his eyes to see through the darkness. What had he been dreaming about that had gotten him so wound up? His heart was pounding, and he felt like he'd been so far away.

He just couldn't recall. The dream escaped from him like so many before it had. He'd never been good at holding on to his dreams. Shaky fingers ran through his hair as he still stared at the dark corners of his room. "…hello?" He was alone here, right?

A child's cry pierced his memory. Had he been dreaming about Amane, perhaps? Maybe the accident… He couldn't say for sure. All he knew was that he wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight. Not for a few days. He hated nights like this. He just had to shake it off. But there was a deep part of him, his arms cradling the open air; something had happened.

He wished he could remember


End file.
